The series has struggled for relevance in recent times, particularly last year when Ireland hammered an all-Indigenous Australian team.
To breathe fresh life into the rivalry, only past or present all-Australians were considered, bolstering the squad with the likes of Joel Selwood, Luke Hodge, Brent Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Patrick Dangerfield, Brendon Goddard, Jobe Watson, Steve Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Travis Boak.
Aussies get a lift
Not that Irish coach Paul Earley is worried.
"This series was always about Ireland's best playing against Australia's best," Earley said on Friday.
"That's part of the challenge that the guys look forward to - testing themselves against the best that Australia has put out.
"There is no sense of intimidation or anything like that; it's about a great challenge and an opportunity to represent your country and play against the best that Australia has to offer - that's what the guys love."
Three-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson said he only agreed to take the reins of the Australian team if the best players were available.
Clarkson said the Australian squad have embraced the challenge of winning back the trophy in front of a sell-out Patersons Stadium crowd.
"We've got 780 players available to represent our country in representative footy and I think there's about 70 or 80 Aboriginal boys, and we chose to take an indigenous side last year," he said.
"That meant that perhaps the depth of talent amongst our group wasn't quite there compared to a side like this year's for instance.
"We'd hope that would mean that we are a much more competitive unit in this particular series and only time will tell if that's the case."
Australian captain Selwood is wary the tourists - all Gaelic football-playing amateurs aside from Brisbane Lions AFL star Pearce Hanley - aren't afraid to get physical.
"Obviously we do use our bodies differently to what the Irish guys do and if it's an advantage we'll try to use it," Selwood said.
"But as we are hearing and as we've seen in past series, they haven't been scared of that either. They have brought that physicality and we will just bring it back."
